NHL trade deadline 2018: 5 players who will be dealt
As the NHL trade deadline draws near more and more big names start to appear. Here are the top five players that will be traded by the end of February.
The NHL trade deadline has become a holiday for some hockey fans. Some of the NHL’s biggest trades happen on this day. Teams decide if they are all in for the cup or are selling to try to get the best possible draft pick. This year does not look like it will be a disappointment.
Names like Evander Kane, Ryan McDonagh and Petr Mrazek headline the list but there are several other key players that could move.
Rick Nash, LW, New York Rangers
The New York Rangers released a letter this week addressing the fans stating they will be cleaning house of some their veteran players. Glen Sather and Jeff Gorton said “This may mean we lose some familiar faces, guys we all care about and respect. While this is part of the game, it’s never easy.”. One of those players on the trading block appears to be winger Rick Nash.
NYR have requested Rick Nash’s No-Trade list and Nash gave it to the club yesterday. The list is 18 teams Nash cannot be traded to (unless he were to waive his NTC). Conversely, NYR now have the green light to trade Nash to the 12 teams not on the list.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) February 5, 2018
There are a lot of teams that would be interested in adding a piece like Rick Nash to their roster. The places where Nash would seem to fit the most are the Dallas Stars and the Nashville Predators. Ken Hitchcock in Dallas would like to bring in a top-six winger to place on their second line. Hitchcock has loaded up his top line of Seguin, Benn and Radulov which has been dynamic but leaves some holes across the rest of the lineup.
Similar to Dallas, Nashville has a need for a top-six winger. Nashville’s Stanley Cup window is wide open. Adding Mike Fisher back to the line up will give them some insurance at the center position but Nashville would really prefer to be able to bump some of their wingers down the lineup and add a big piece to their top six. The expected return for Nash is a first round pick and a prospect, Nashville and Dallas are both at points in building their roster they can spend on a player like Nash.